Cindy has very recently done 2 videos which review my products. 🙂 The first shows you how to do the Sutton Slice technique with one of my clear stamps called Round Design Patterns #2 .
The newest video shows how to silk screen using dry ingredients like Pearl-Ex and pastel chalks. The look it creates is wonderful ! This is a list of the silk screen names that Cindy uses in this video 🙂 – Tribal Dance, Microbial Doodles, Retro Circuit Board, Stonewalled, Tapestry Flowers, Tile Mosaic #1, Mehndi Doodle.
Please check out Cindy’s site Polymer Clay Tutor ! She has so many wonderful video lessons and you can sign up for her monthly club which provided new lessons each month that will keep you creating and having fun.
She is so inspirational. I haven’t clayed in ages, because of all my stamp business stuff, but I got Christi’s monthly newsletter “blather & fun stuff” yesterday and it made me really want to clay 🙂 If you haven’t signed up for it yet, you really should ! Snooze, ya lose folks 😛 Sign up right here.
There is a link to the video showing us how to make her Screwed Heart, but I’ll add it here so you don’t have to leave my blog <G>
You will also find a great tutorial on making the “I love your cupcake” monster topper. Here is a sneak peak. If you want the direction you have to get the newsletter. 🙂
Christi’s web site has several free projects you can download. But better than all that……………. the announcement that her newest book Woodland Creatures is here !!!!!!!!!!! Because Christi’s been so busy, she extended the Pre-Order date to Feb. 11. Only $9 + $2.50 shipping ! Plus get a free limited edition Woodland Creatures Collector Card. Like I said before. Snooze ya lose 🙂 It will cost you $12 + shipping later.
I recently saw online that people were talking about and making something called Zentangles. I had no idea what a Zentagle was so I had to check it out for myself.
What is a Zentangle? It was developed by Maria and Rick of Zentangle, Inc. and they define zentangle as a “fascinating new art form” in which beautiful images are created “one stroke at a time” from repetitive patterns. For me it boils down to doodling 🙂 Not mindless doodling that we do while on the phone, but doing it deliberately. I have seen it described as abstract doodling, abstract drawings and monochrome pen drawings. People making zentangles find it therapeutic, mesmerizing and well….. zen like. All you need is a sheet of white paper, a fine tip black pen and your imagination to get started.
Of course polymer clay artists have taken zentangles to a new level. 🙂 Interpreting their drawing into polymer clay art. You can interpret the drawing literally and create a black & white clay “drawing” like Dora has done.
Dora also has a tutorial on making clay zentangles you can check out.
You can take it a step further and add some color to your clay zentangles like Rev Byrd has done.
I freely admit that I am color challenged. Don’t even ask me to mix a certain shade of bluish purple, because it won’t happen. At least it wouldn’t have happened. I have already purchased the book Polymer Clay Color Inspirations by Lindly Haunani and Maggie Maggio. Haven’t gotten to far into it yet, but I am intrigued that it reads like a lesson book that teaches you how to create good color pallets.
FYI: Did you all know that Elise Winters’ Cascade Ruffle necklaces (her similar work is on the cover of Polymer Clay Color Inspirations) were in Cynthia Rowley’s Fall 2010 runway show during NY Fashion Week !!!!
Now I have my eye on Lindly Haunani’s new video From Abba Dabba Video called Innovations: Confident Color – Exploring Textile Patterns. Now this is more my speed. I am a visual learned. Reading the instruction sometimes just doesn’t sink in for me. Watching something being done is a whole different thing.
Description:
You will learn how to add harmony to your work with increased color confidence while learning valuable bench tricks and techniques for working with polymer clay. Lindly will walk you through making a series of color coordinated stripe blends that will be used to make eleven different laminated textile inspired patterns including: Ikat, Seminole Stripes and Flame stitch.
The video will be release in March. You can pre-order it from Lisa Clarke over at Polkadotcreations.com
Now that I have souped up my extruder, I am thinking there are more ways I can use it other than extruding bracelet cores. These other techniques include making quilt canes, retro canes and filigree work.
I have never tried to make a quilt cane, so I was very interested when I came across this YouTube video.
You can buy these cool shape disks from Quilted In Clay to extrude all the perfect shapes to make your quilt canes.
YouTube has a wealth of learning right at your fingertips. If you are a visual learner like myself I am sure you will find something there to help you. I have watched so many wonderful tutorials and learned some great techniques for free !!! My thanks to all those fabulous people who make the videos and share them at no charge.
I used to make and sell screen print stencils. I loved the process of designing them. Now I find that I am now hooked on making clear stamps to use in my scrap mokume gane experiments. 🙂
I used 2 stencils on these dragonfly wings
Silk screens are very easy to make since a fabulous product hit the market a few years back. It’s called Photo-Ez. You just need a black & white image, sunshine and a few other supplies to make the screens.
You should check out Desiree’s web site for instruction on making and using silk screens. She very kindly created a tutorial that was very helpful when I began using Photo-Ez. Part 1 Part 2
Three well known polymer clay artists that use screen print stencils and teach classes with stencils are Seth Savarick Martha Aleo
and Gwen Gibson, who has a great video called Creations Du Jour 2.
Some Helpful links:
Diane Villano has a nice picture tutorial you might want to check out.
Janice Abarbanel shares a way to make a light table for exposing the stencils.
Lisa Pavelka was on Carol Duvall and made the pretties journal cover. Here are the instructions.
You can see some of my silk screens in action in this Polymer Clay TV Epiosde
If after reading all this great info you have decided you want to try your hand at making silk screen stencils I suggest you buy from one of these two places EZ Screenprint
Ginny Eckly at PhotoEZ Silk Screen
I have purchased from both places and recommend the sellers.
Button making has become quite popular and polymer clay is the perfect medium for it. Perhaps you make clothing or purses. Think of the custom buttons you could make to really give your work a personal touch. What if you lose a button off your favorite coat? You can make a mold of one of the other buttons and create a replacement.
I’ve been thinking about making button for quite a while. The area I live in is really big on sewing and quilting. I even went so far as to order a gross of plastic glue on button shanks about 2 years ago. 🙂 So now I am thinking it may be time to look into this project again. There is a local craft show just before Mother’s Day and I am thinking of getting a booth.
Inspiration is what I need. Yeah. Inspiration. The first stop on my quest is Sarajane Helm’s web site. She always has helpful info there. And indeed she does.
I also found a video on YouTube
And did you know there is a group on Flickr called Polymer Clay Buttons Galore ?
Here are a couple examples of what you’ll see.
If you are looking for more in depth help and you’d like to buy a dvd, try Tory Hughes’ video called Buttons and Embellishments. From description:
“Understand the basic engineering of the polymer button.
Learn specifics of attaching polymer to fabric
Make buttons with varying shapes and surface treatments
Design patterns into clay body
Create buttons using molds and metallic powders
Incorporate yarns and threads”
You can buy it at Pokadot Creations . Lisa, the owner, is one of us 🙂
Maggie Maggio has been kind enough to share her wisdom with the rest of us. 🙂 She has provided both written tutorials and videos to teach us color mixing so we can achieve the color pallets we desire.
Silkscreens By Tonja's Treasures 